


"No Boys Allowed"

by jenntlebreeze88



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Everybody loves Trixie Decker, Hurt Lucifer, Lucifer Feels, Protective Lucifer, Sad Chloe Decker, Trixie Decker & Lucifer Morningstar Bonding, Trixie Decker & Lucifer Morningstar Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-19 01:41:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14226342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenntlebreeze88/pseuds/jenntlebreeze88
Summary: The main characters, Lucifer and Chloe, are a large part of this story. Lucifer is being an angst-ridden teenager, at least when it comes to his emotions. Chloe is desperately trying to figure out how to make things work with Pierce, despite residual feelings for Lucifer. There are minor appearances for Dr. Linda Martin, Amenadiel, Dan, Ella, and Pierce. Sadly, Maze is angry in the way that only a demon can be, and mostly MIA, even though this writer acknowledges that she is awesome.But this story is mostly about Trixie, whose young life is in currently in shambles. For some reason her parents can’t quite explain, school suspended her after Maze’s brownies made her teacher sick. Maze is gone. Her mother keeps bringing some surly guy named Marcus around. Worst of all, there hasn’t been a game night in weeks. So, Trixie runs away to the one person who cheers her up… and calls in a favor...





	1. Trixie

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a reaction to 3x18, “The Last Heartbreak”, and a little bit to 3x19, “Orange is the New Maze.” It takes place around the time of these two episodes. I did try to keep it as realistic as possible, at least within my ability. It’s my first ever fanfiction, so please give me both positive and negative feedback. More chapters to come, especially if people happen to like what I'm writing and say so in them comments. I’m trying to improve my writing skills. I also know that the plot is a bit recycled – but it’s what called to me. Hopefully you like it! 
> 
> Also, I own the rights to none of this. It's writing practice for me. I'm not making any money, and I greatly respect the various writers and other professionals who have come together to create the characters and plots of the show. Please don't sue me.

Never before had Trixie used screaming to get what she wanted. But, desperate times called for desperate measures, and Ben from school had said it worked wonders on his parents. Turns out he’d been right – Trixie could tell she was making headway from the sudden appearance of worry lines between her mother's eyebrows.

“I WANT TO GO TO DADDY’S TONIGHT!”

All of the screaming left a scratchy feeling at the back of her throat. It also made her voice sound hoarse, like the really old librarian at her school who smoked too much. Trixie didn’t even have to fake the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. So many terrible things had happened over the past few weeks – Maze leaving, the brownie incident at school, and the arrival of the stupid man named Marcus – that all Trixie’s emotions flowed over her like one gigantic wave, effortlessly infusing conviction into her words.

“I WON’T STAY HERE WITH YOU AND MARCUS! I DON’T LIKE HIM! I’LL NEVER LIKE HIM! YOU CAN’T MAKE ME LIKE HIM!”

Mommy and Marcus stood in front of her, exchanging exasperated expressions. Following a few moments of tense silence, Marcus threw his hands up in defeat and exited the room, giving mother and daughter a chance to speak privately.

Mommy knelt so that they were at eye level with one another and gently wrapped her hands around Trixie’s smaller ones. “Monkey, you know I’d never keep you from spending time with your father. Daddy is working in the field and he won’t be back until long after your bedtime.” Although Mommy’s voice was calm, Trixie could tell she was upset by the glossy appearance of her eyes. “It’s really important to me that you give Marcus a chance. But, I know things have been hard for you lately, and I don’t want to push you. If you promise to be honest with me, I promise you won’t have to see Marcus again until you’re ready.”

Mommy was being so nice about everything. It made Trixie second-guess her plans for the evening. Except, as she and Maze had agreed when Maze traveled to Canada for work, Mommy was defenseless without them. Mommy was kind and good, which made it easy for others to take advantage. With Maze gone, Trixie was the only person around to protect her mother. Mommy needed the protection now more than ever. 

“Thank you, Mommy,” said Trixie simply, keeping her face as straight as possible. “Does that mean you’ll take me to Olga’s now?”

Mommy narrowed her eyes. “I thought you didn’t like Olga.”

“I don’t. But she’s better than Marcus. Much, _much_ better.”

“Very well.” Mommy sighed. “Let me give Olga a call.”

Fifteen minutes later, Trixie was standing in Olga’s living room, waving good-bye to Mommy and glaring at Marcus with her best Maze-inspired evil eye. Ten minutes after that, and Olga was asleep on the couch watching Seinfeld reruns. And a mere five minutes after that, Trixie was hopping into the Uber she had ordered from Olga’s phone, heading to a certain fancy nightclub, owned by a certain fancy man…


	2. Lucifer

Lucifer Morningstar had detested small humans ever since his first visit to Earth. Human children were such needy, taxing burdens, dissimilar from angelic children in every way imaginable. Therefore, he decided it best to simply avoid the disgusting little creatures.

That is, until the whirlwind of sass, uncomfortable hugs, and chocolate cake that was Trixie Espinoza entered his life.

Lucifer had been eyeing a particularly attractive blonde, contemplating what her deepest desires might be, when he caught sight of the tiny, brown head bobbing towards him through a sea of scantily clad dancers, bartenders, and inebriated patrons. Surprised, and a bit alarmed, he watched Trixie carefully as she weaved her way towards him, eyes wide with fascination at the colorful lights and sounds that comprised Lux.

“Hello, small child.” Lucifer had barely gotten the words out when the little girl pummeled him with one of her insufferable hugs.

“How did you get past my security?” questioned the Devil, squirming against the child’s unusually tenacious grip. “What in Dad’s name do I pay these bouncers for if they can’t keep a three-foot tall child out of my nightclub?” He pried Trixie’s fingers off of him one by one until she had let go of his expensive, three-piece suit.

The small human’s face brimmed with characteristic mischievousness. “It was easy. All I had to do was mention Maze and her knives, and the big man at the door let me right in.”

“Aren’t you the clever little imp?” Lucifer flashed her his best Devilish grin.

Typically, this would have earned him a reciprocated smile. But the little girl was not focused on him, as she should have been, and instead appeared to be focused on something behind them. “Is that candy?” Trixie’s eyes widened with glee as she pointed to the small bags of colorful pills being passed around to patrons like favors at a wedding.

Just as the girl’s tiny body started to slide off the piano bench in pursuit of candy, Lucifer jerked forwards instinctually and pulled her back. “No, no, no, and definitely, no. That’s grown-up candy.” Trixie’s lower lip stuck out in a pout. Lucifer understood – it was the best ecstasy in all of Los Angeles, and he, too, would have pouted if he had been denied such an exquisite treat. “I’m a bit fuzzy on the details, but for some reason human parents frown upon allowing their children any proper fun, and the detective is certainly no exception to this rule.”

Discomfort burgeoned in Lucifer’s stomach at the mention of the detective. Ever since Chloe and Pierce had started dating, stomachaches had become the new norm. Even the steady prescription of booze, sex, and drugs that had gotten him through every other betrayal, rebellion, and sibling squabble refused to alleviate the pain he felt at losing his detective to the first murderer. It was pathetic, really, that the Devil had been reduced to such nonsense.

It was all his father’s doing, of course.

In addition to the stomachache, Lucifer was beginning to feel an ache in his lower back. Dr. Linda would probably say this had something to do with the stress of his jobs, or possibly any of the many other unpleasant emotions he had been repressing over the past few weeks. Sighing, he chugged the remaining golden liquid from his glass and motioned to the nearest bartender for a refill.

Next to him, little Trixie was still regarding the colorful bags of “candy” with disappointment. Lucifer himself was simply relieved that at least the child’s back was turned away from the new bartender, who was busy going down on the old bartender behind the bar; and that from her vantage point she couldn’t see the Brittneys, who were grinning salaciously at him while sipping vodka from their navels.

Even the Devil realized Lux was no place for a child.

Unfortunately, the urchin’s presence left him with quite the predicament. Lucifer was off-duty, as far as the LAPD was concerned. This was his time to relax, fulfill his carnal desires. Be the devilish self he’d always been. There was no time for the pesky emotions seeing the detective would drudge up. He needed to devise a plan where the child would be returned safety to her mother, without requiring that he actually ever speak to, see, or otherwise communicate with the detective.

An Uber ride should do the trick quite nicely.

Getting up from the piano stool, Lucifer scanned the bustling room for the quickest, Brittney-and-bartender free path to the exit. “Well, straight into an Uber you go,” he said, pulling up the app on his phone. “Can’t have your mother worrying about you, can we? We both know how cross she gets when she believes your safety and well-being are at stake.”

But the stubborn little child seemed to have other plans. “ _No_ ,” she said firmly, her hands clamping down on his precious piano, peppering its polished surface with tiny fingerprints and forcing a shudder from Lucifer. “I’m not going home, not until you agree to help me.”

A bartender arrived at the piano, eyes widening at the sight of a disgruntled Trixie. Lucifer grabbed the entire bottle of bourbon, dismissing the befuddled man with a curt nod as he refilled the glass. “Fine. I’ll bite,” said Lucifer, downing half his glass of bourbon. “What is it that you need my help with, child?”

“It’s very important,” said the child, her eyes wide with seriousness. “It’s about Mommy. She keeps spending all her time with a man named Marcus. I don’t like him. He’s not a nice man, I can tell.”

“Right,” said Lucifer, pouring himself yet another glass and downing it just as quickly as the first. “I wish I could help, truly, I do, but I just can’t. The Devil doesn’t do that sort of thing, although I have several siblings I could refer you to who–”

Apparently the child had no desire to hear about his angelic brothers and sisters, and cut him off. “Marcus doesn’t care about Mommy the way you do.” Trixie’s words sliced into Lucifer like demon knives forged in Hell. If the child knew how he felt about the detective, how much was visible to everyone else? “I want you to buy Mommy flowers, sing her songs, and spend naked time with her.” The child’s nose crinkled up with disgust. “Do all of the naked stuff when I’m with Daddy.”

There was nothing more in the world that would make Lucifer happier than spending “naked time” with the detective. Once again Dear Dad was taunting him, dangling the carrot right in front of his nose. How could he possibly explain all that to a 9-year-old girl? It barely made any sense to him, let alone a mortal child.

Lucifer grabbed another bottle of bourbon from a passing bartender and took a swing straight from the bottle. Patrons and employees alike were starting to stare. It wasn’t with the prurient fascination he was accustomed to, but instead the looks were infused with bewilderment and a fair amount of concern. Lucifer knew that the child needed to be removed quickly. Otherwise, her presence might trigger rather unpleasant consequences, the worst of which involved a certain member of the LAPD appearing at Lux with a singularly annoying lieutenant by her side.

An idea suddenly popped into Lucifer’s brain. “How about taking a ride in my convertible, child? Hum?” He watched as the little girl’s shoulders relaxed, and a smile began to twitch in the corners of her mouth. “I’ve yet to fulfill my end of that deal we made a while back. You remember? The one where I promised you some premature and rather classy driving experience?”

Trixie simply looked up at him, unblinking, an expectant glint in her dark eyes.

Lucifer sighed in resignation. Even he, with his dearth of child experience, knew how to interpret the demanding expression on the shrewd little minx’s face. Children were such willful, needy creatures. It was one of the many reasons for the nausea he typically felt in their presence. “Fine. I’ll throw in some chocolate cake for good measure.”

“Deal.”

Then the Devil and the detective’s daughter shook on it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think my own criticism of this chapter is that it focuses maybe a little too much on Lucifer's feelings about Chloe, and not enough on Trixie and Lucifer's relationship. Granted, the show focuses a lot on Lucifer and Chloe, but moving it to a written medium allows for so much more specificity in what the characters are thinking. Anyway, I'm not sure I want to jump to conclusions about the Devil's internal thought processes - I'm not Dr. Linda, after all. Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments.


	3. Trixie

Trixie’s long-awaited ride in the convertible was just within reach when Lucifer was distracted, once again. Last time it had been Mommy’s fault for forbidding driving lessons. Now, a man in a white suit emerged from the crowd of grown-ups dancing and drinking under the shimmery lights.

“I heard you’re giving out favors again,” said the man, holding out a folder to Lucifer. The skin on his face was wrinkled and had an orange tinge to it, like he had visited tanning booths one too many times. “Here’s proposition for you, Mr. Morningstar.”

Lucifer stared at the folder, and the man holding it, with displeasure. All of his characteristic giddy playfulness was gone and had been replaced by a dark, authoritarian persona unfamiliar to Trixie.

“Ah, Danny Vane,” said Lucifer. The severity in his voice reminded Trixie unpleasantly of how her principal sounded following the brownie incident. “Patrons here at Lux tell many the sordid tale, but even the Devil disapproves of your specific brand of debauchery. I used to relish watching the lot of you driven insane by your own guilt, back when I ran Hell. I must say, it was one of my favorite pastimes. As you can imagine, there’s not much else to do downstairs. You’d best enjoy the earthly plane whilst you still can – I’ve been around a long time, and experience tells me that men like you typically end up in Hell sooner rather than later.”

It was the man’s turn to look displeased. “If you know of me then you know I have a great deal of power in certain circles. That power can benefit you, Mr. Morningstar. I beg you to reconsider my offer. I imagine that if you actually were the Devil incarnate, you would know I speak truly.”

“You humans,” said Lucifer, with an eye roll and a sigh. “None of you ever hear a single word I say. Rest assured, I am the Devil.” He advanced slowly on the man, lips curling into a mischievous smile. “And I don’t doubt your sincerity, but there’s nothing you can offer me I don’t already have. Please leave, now, before I detach your bollocks and sew them to your ears for all to see.”

Even though she had no idea what it meant – she didn’t understand most of what Lucifer said, anyway – the word “bollocks” sounded funny. Trixie giggled, drawing the man’s attention to her for the first time since he and Lucifer had begun talking.

The man regarded Trixie first with surprise, and then intrigue. “Might this be your daughter, Mr. Morningstar? She looks just like you.”

Lucifer immediately stepped backwards and placed a hand on Trixie’s shoulder, shielding her from the man. She was surprised. Lucifer rarely touched her voluntarily, and typically recoiled whenever she hugged or even high-fived him. But she also felt protected by the gesture. The contention brewing between the two men was beginning to scare her, almost making her wish she had never left the safety of Olga’s home – almost, but not quite. She still needed Lucifer’s help to save Mommy.

“The child is not my offspring,” said Lucifer, looking angrier than Trixie had ever seen him. Lights from the nightclub reflected a deep red color in Lucifer’s eyes, adding a supernatural aura to his already formidable appearance. “The Devil doesn’t have any offspring. But if you touch a hair on her head I swear on Dad’s name I’ll break his silly rule about taking human lives and fly you straight to Hell myself.”

The two men stared each other down for what seemed like eternity. It reminded her of the reptiles she had seen with her father at the San Diego Zoo, still and silent one second, and gnashing poisonous fangs at prey the next. Trixie’s little heart did somersaults inside her chest. Without thinking much about it, she covered the hand that Lucifer had placed on her shoulder with her own, much smaller one, and held on tightly.

Finally, the man’s angry face broke into a sardonic grin. “You’ll come to regret this decision, Mr. Morningstar.” As fast as he had appeared, the man was gone, dissolving into the crowd from which he came.

All of the tension seemed to vanish along with the man. Lucifer stared down at his hand on Trixie’s shoulder with astonishment, and recoiled from her as if he had touched something unpleasant. She smiled, content in the knowledge that her friend had returned to his usual self.

“Wretched criminal,” Lucifer mumbled as they exited Lux en route to the convertible. “The detective and I will have to build a case against him before he cons someone else into taking that deal. Can’t have him anywhere near small children, that one. It’s people like him who make me wish I still ruled the fiery pits of Hell.”

Trixie wanted to ask questions – who was the man, what did he want, and why did Lucifer get so angry with him – but the shiny black convertible was sitting right there, just begging her to jump in and take it for a drive. Lucifer’s words with the grumpy man vanished from her mind, and squealed with delight as he scooped her up and plopped her in the front seat.

“Right,” said Lucifer, eyeing the distance between her legs and the pedals with confusion. “Has the detective taught you anything about driving, child?”

She shook her head. “Daddy did, once. He let me sit on his lap and hold the wheel while he drove.”

“Well, there will be none of that nonsense. Here, let me show you.”

Lucifer proceeded to point to all the important parts, and showed her how to use them. When he was done, Trixie practiced sliding forwards to put her tiny foot on both the gas and brake pedal while the car was safely in park.

“I’m ready,” said Trixie, all smiles.

Lucifer shrugged. “Well, it can’t be any worse than driving with Amenadiel. You should have seen him when he first came down from the Silver City. One would think an angelic messenger would have a better sense of direction.”

Trixie would have backed the car into a concrete pillar and killed the both of them, had Lucifer not pulled the emergency brake in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer and Trixie's adventures continue! Things got a bit bumpy there, but at least the Devil and the detective's daughter are both still alive. Let me know what you think in the comments, if you are so inclined.


	4. Lucifer

All women loved Lucifer. His charms were effective even over the phone. Especially when it came to aging, overweight matrons who happened to work at the best bakery in all of Los Angeles.

“Yes, two orders of double fudge,” said Lucifer, laying the charm on as thickly as possible. “Thank you, Rachel darling. Have a wonderful evening. Good-bye.” 

Lucifer tapped the button on his phone and hung up, redirecting his attention to the tiny human in front of him. She looked even smaller than usual sitting on elongated barstools, a wall of top shelf to her back, her legs swinging gently and nowhere near reaching the floor. “I think it goes without saying that we’re not trying that again until you grow another few inches, urchin.” 

The child didn’t seem to care. Her face had turned into one big smile. “Wait until I tell all my friends at school!” 

“Just remember, don’t tell your mother,” Lucifer cautioned, imagining the look on the detective’s face if she were to ever find out he almost sent her offspring to High Heaven prematurely. “Or your father, for that matter. I doubt Daniel would be able to keep it a secret.” 

“Now we just have to wait for the chocolate cake,” said Trixie, balling her hands into tiny fists with excitement. “Maybe we’ll run into Maze, and I can convince her to move back in with Mommy and me. Since she’s the best at making plans and catching bad people, she can help you figure out how to save Mommy from Marcus. Then, I think it will officially be the best day of my life!” 

Lucifer had been in the middle of pouring himself a class of bourbon when the child’s words brought his actions to a halt. That was another thing he despised about children – they misunderstood everything and then blamed adults for it. 

“Child,” said Lucifer, putting down his glass. “The deal we shook on had nothing to do with Maze, or your mother. I was simply obliged to allow you to drive my vehicle, and drive you did, if only for half a second. The other part of said deal – involving chocolate cake – is on its way as we speak. Therefore, I have fulfilled my end of the bargain.” 

The urchin’s pouting face had made a return. Lucifer knew it could only mean that she had terrible things in store for him, like the dreaded childhood temper tantrums he had heard so much about from the various young mothers he slept with. It always surprised him how many deep desires involved the cessation of childhood screams. 

“You mean you’re not going to help me save Mommy?” 

Lucifer found himself in a rare situation – he was at a loss for words. How could he explain to the child that, although he cared deeply for the detective, “naked time” would destroy her free will? That, even though the idea of Chloe and Pierce so much as brushing shoulders sent Lucifer into a jealous rage, stepping aside and allowing it to happen was necessary to ensure the detective’s happiness? 

“Well?” The child demanded. 

“Right,” said Lucifer, gathering his thoughts. He wondered what Dr. Linda might advise him to say to the child in such a moment, and quickly made his decision. “It may be difficult for you to understand–”

“I’m old and smart enough to understand.” Again, the child cut him off. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest. “You don’t have to speak in code in front of me, or lie about things. You can just tell me.” 

Why did everyone always think he was lying? These humans and their spawn, they so struggled with grasping anything divine…

“I do not lie, spawn,” Lucifer assured the child, giving her his best version of the detective’s stern, motherly look. “But you are correct, I haven’t been entirely forthcoming, either. The truth is that your mother appears to care deeply about this new man in her life. He seems to make her happy, and in ways that I–” Lucifer found himself stumbling over the words, struggling to admit them to himself let alone the child, “–ways that I simply cannot. And both you and I owe your mother our support in her happiness, however she might find it.” 

The heavy words of Lucifer’s confession weighed him down. He sat beside the child on one of the barstools, and took a swing of bourbon straight from the bottle. Trixie attempted to mimic his actions and take a sip, but Lucifer snapped away the bottle with a glare and returned it to a shelf high above her head. 

If the detective could barely handle alcohol, he doubted her offspring’s tolerance was any better. 

“That certainly doesn’t mean you have to like him,” added Lucifer, attempting to ameliorate the depressive atmosphere that had developed. “In fact, I wholeheartedly support your decision to despise the man. Play tricks on him whenever he is at your home, especially if he tries to have ‘naked time’ with the detective. Preferably prior to any sort of development of that kind.” 

Once again, little Trixie didn’t appear to be listening. “Does that mean you’re going to send me home to Mommy and Marcus?” 

What Lucifer wanted to do was see if the attractive blonde from earlier was still around, and lavish her with his attention for the rest of the weekend as a means of forgetting all this detective nonsense. Unfortunately, there were several glaring problems with his plan. The detective had yet to blow up his phone with missed calls and text messages, which meant the child’s babysitter had not yet realized her charge was missing. Therefore, he still had time to return the child without her mother ever knowing the difference, which would prevent an awkward conversation with his partner Monday morning. And between his admissions to Trixie and the argument with the pedophilic criminal from earlier, he’d had enough awkward conversations for at least the rest of the month. 

No, Lucifer had to return the child, then focus on the attractive blonde. In that order.

“Technically I’m sending you back to your babysitter. Unfortunately, there’s no way of severing oneself from one’s parents. Trust me, in all my millennia I’ve had plenty of time to try,” said Lucifer, thinking to himself that he’d just given the child excellent advise, and Dr. Linda would be proud when he told her all about it. 

Lucifer took a moment to look at his phone to estimate the pastry delivery time. “Oh, good, the cake should be arriving shortly. Let’s run downstairs, otherwise Rachel always seems to find her way to the penthouse bed with my delectable deliveries.” 

Trixie was surely right beside him as he entered the elevator. He was equally certain she had been glued to his side as they exited the elevator and cut through the sweaty, gyrating masses at Lux. Lucifer knew that she had been present at the bar, where they waited together for Rachel and her double fudge delivery. 

Lucifer got a call to say the delivery would be 5 minutes late. It wasn’t until then, when he looked down to tell the child the bad news, that he realized Trixie was gone.


	5. Chloe

Chloe was admiring the way Marcus’s well-defined biceps flexed as he helped her cut up vegetables for dinner, when she heard her phone buzz. She smiled at Marcus and ignored the phone, preferring to enjoy his company.

Then the phone buzzed again. And again. And another time after that.

Sighing, she gave Marcus an apologetic look and went to fetch her phone, expecting a call from Lucifer, or possibly her mother.

She was wrong, on both accounts. The missed call was from Dan, who had never, not even back when they were married, called her more than twice in a row.

Perhaps Lucifer had stolen Dan’s phone? Chloe wouldn’t put it past her devilish partner, except that Lucifer had kept his distance since she had started dating Marcus. Worried, she decided the vegetables could wait, and called Dan back.

“Hi Dan,” said Chloe, feeling a bit sheepish. She hadn’t told Dan much about her relationship with the lieutenant, even though he was obviously intuitive enough to figure it out. “Can it wait? I’m kind of busy–”

“Chlo, it’s Trixie. She’s missing.”

Her body suddenly felt cold, as if all the blood had been drained from it. “What do you mean, missing? I just dropped her off at Olga’s a few hours ago.”

Out of the corner of her eyes, Chloe could see Marcus cease cutting the vegetables and crane his head in her direction.

“Amenadiel called me,” explained Dan, out of breath as if he’d been in the middle of running a marathon. “Apparently she left Olga’s to find Lucifer. We’re searching Lux up and down. Lucifer said she couldn’t have gotten far.”

Chloe paused for a minute, working through the shock and beginning to wrap her head around the situation. “So… what you mean to say is… Lucifer lost our daughter?”

Marcus was by her side in an instant, his eyebrows raised.

Dan’s voice continued on the other end of the phone. “Chloe, I don’t think–” But Chloe didn’t care what Dan thought. She barely knew what she was thinking, only that Trixie was all that mattered, and she had to help find her daughter.

“I’m on my way to Lux,” Chloe told Dan, and hung up the phone.

Marcus looked at her, his eyes wide and serious. “At least let me drive.”

Chloe nodded, her throat to dry to speak.

Twenty minutes later – record time for Chloe – she and Marcus were bursting through the doors of Lux. All the patrons and employees had been sent home. None of the lights were on, except for the ones above the grand piano, and those that lit the platform where Lucifer liked to stand and survey his club. That’s where Chloe saw Dan, Amenadiel, and even Dr. Linda, engaged in conversation with one another.

But Lucifer was nowhere to be seen.

“Tell me everything.” Chloe demanded, sprinting to the platform as fast as she could. The conversation stopped abruptly when her presence was noted. “Start with wherever the Hell Lucifer’s run off to.”

“Don’t worry, Chloe,” said Amenadiel. “Lucifer interviewed everyone as he evacuated them from Lux, patrons and employees alike. He’s off investigating a lead as we speak. The moment he finds something he’ll let us know.”

“Last time I checked it was Lucifer who never bothered to tell me that my nine-year-old daughter showed up at his nightclub. Not only that, but he then proceeds to lose her.” Chloe knew it wasn’t fair to direct her rage at Amenadiel. None of Lucifer’s actions were his fault. But anger was oozing from her like blood from an open wound, and Amenadiel had the bad luck of being caught in the crossfire. “Instead of calling me, _his partner_ , to investigate _my daughter's_ disappearance, he calls DAN.”

Amenadiel was unfazed by her outburst. She supposed he had learned patience and calm under pressure from his childhood years of putting up with Lucifer and Charlotte Richards. “Technically, I called Dan. Lucifer still hasn’t saved Dan’s number to his cell phone.”

Usually Lucifer’s Lucifer-ness would have earned at least a grin from Chloe. But not today. “Of course he hasn’t,” she muttered, glaring at Amenadiel. “Because that would be the mature, adult thing to do.”

Amenadiel sighed. “Trust me, Chloe, Lucifer will get Trixie back. My brother always comes through when he’s needed most.”

Milliseconds later, Amenadiel, who had been standing right in front of her, was gone. She felt a strong breeze nip her skin, and watched in wonder as the napkins sitting on the bar were upturned and drifted to the ground like leaves falling from a tree.

Chloe blinked several times. Still, there was no Amenadiel to be seen. It reminded her of the time Lucifer had vanished from the bar just after he had goaded her inexperienced coworker into shooting him. Chloe wondered if the prohibition tunnels under Lux had anything to do with it, or was it just one of the many inexplicable things about Lucifer and his family that she had come to accept without question?

Marcus and Dr. Linda appeared unfazed. Marcus was distracted, frowning at the unknown number that kept lighting up the screen of his cell phone, and Chloe supposed Linda’s occupation had prepared her for many the odd event. Dan’s face, however, had crinkled up with confusion. “W-What just happened?” He stepped off of the platform and went to explore the bar in search of an answer to his question.

Chloe felt her anger building. She decided to put the energy to good use, and began planning. “We have to start with the last place she was seen,” said Chloe, to no one in particular, ticking off the items on her fingers as she spoke. “As soon as Lucifer gets back here, we can interview him to get more information about Trixie’s motive for coming to Lux. Oh, and we should probably call Olga to see if she saw anything, or possibly–”

“Chloe,” said Marcus, wrapping a strong arm around her. “I’ve alerted the department and issued the Amber Alert. The second anyone sees or hears anything they’ll contact me directly. Let me help you. That’s what I’m here for.”

Marcus’s words were sweet, but it didn’t matter. Chloe was in full protective mother mode, and after all, it was the 21st century. Women no longer sat around and waited while men took care of things, especially not those who happened to be detectives at the LAPD. Nothing could get in the way of Chloe’s search for her daughter.

That is, nothing except an extraordinarily tiny blonde woman with a medical degree and a specialty in psychiatry.

“Chloe, you need to sit down,” said Dr. Linda, gently taking Chloe’s arm and leading her towards one of the barstools. “When our emotions are elevated, we don’t think clearly. You’re in no shape to help anyone right now, especially Trixie.”

The moment Chloe’s bottom hit the barstool the tears began to stream down her face. Dr. Linda shooed away Marcus and Dan, saying something about ‘therapeutic alliance’ and ‘confidentiality’ and ‘girl time’.

Emotions were not something Chloe discussed often. She preferred helping others, not focusing on herself. Yet here she was, sitting on a barstool in the middle of Lux with little pieces of carrot stuck to her fingers, crying about every misfortune that had befallen her in the last six months.

Dr. Linda Martin was good, damn good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chloe's chance to tell her side of the story! Of all the characters in the show, I'm most like Chloe. So I figure this chapter is probably my worst. Let me know!


	6. Lucifer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucifer comes to Trixie's rescue... but things don't quite go as planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING! I've kept it as mild as I possibly because I know sexual abuse is a real issue for a lot of people, but there is some innuendo. Nothing is described or happens in the actual text. 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy it! I spent a lot of time on this chapter because in a lot of ways it's the most important one with the most action.

For a man who had just stolen the supposed “daughter” of someone as powerful as the Devil himself, Danny Vane had done a wretched job of hiding. All Lucifer had to do was use his Dad-given gift of charm to mesmerize a few of the humans who had seen the scumbag exit Lux. Then, and only because Marcus Pierce decided to act like a dullard and not answer his cell when “Lucifer Morningstar” popped up on the screen, he called in a favor with a particularly intelligent degenerate working at the Department of Homeland Security. 

Shame on Pierce. The detective’s spawn did not have time for such shenanigans. 

In less than 20 minutes, Lucifer had secured Danny Vane’s location at an upscale hotel in downtown Los Angeles worthy of the Las Vegas strip. The techie at DHS successfully rerouted his cell phone number so the multiple phone calls appeared to be from “Internal Revenue Service – Debt Collections”. Finally, the dimwit picked up the phone and stepped away from the detective long enough for Lucifer to abduct him without piquing too much of her suspicion. 

Despite his significant cleverness, Lucifer still couldn’t shake the idea that he was missing something. And whatever the something was, he felt that it was a glaringly obvious something. No matter how thoroughly, or from what angle he reviewed the past two hours of his life, nothing came to mind. 

It didn’t matter what he could or could not recall at the moment. He and Amenadiel were standing atop the roof of a building adjacent to the hotel Danny Vane was staying at, waiting for Pierce to flash a badge to the right hotel employee and secure the correct room number. 

“Luci,” said Amenadiel, looking up from reading a text message. “Dan says he and Linda are distracting Chloe, for the moment. But you know how tenacious she is. Soon the entire LAPD is going to be involved in this case, and you can’t expect to keep flying all over Los Angeles when that happens. We need to find Trixie soon. Are you certain this man has her?” 

“Yes,” hissed Lucifer. “Danny Vane’s name has recently been associated with several child sex trafficking rings, which has placed him on the FBI’s radar. He came to me for a favor – the lowlife fancies himself Al Pacino and was hoping I’d find him a Keanu Reeves.” 

Amenadiel stared. 

“The Devil’s Advocate?” Lucifer scoffed. Amenadiel was unbelievable sometimes. “The film about an aspiring defense attorney who inadvertently casts his lot with a terrifyingly distorted version of me? I could have sworn Father himself wrote the script.” When all this was over, Lucifer made it a goal to orient Amenadiel to human pop culture, and perhaps then his brother would appreciate his witty remarks. “Basically Vane was looking for a top-notch lawyer whose morals could be bought. I turned him down, obviously. But the detective’s offspring was standing right beside me, and if you can believe it, he mistook the little miscreant for my daughter. Abducting her is retaliation for turning him down.” 

Amenadiel filled the rooftop with loud belly laughter. Of course his brother would laugh at the non-joke and completely fail to acknowledge any of Lucifer’s considerable wit or charm. Siblings. 

“This is not a time for laughter. The moment Pierce texts we must be ready.” Lucifer scolded, scanning the hotel rooms from his elevated vantage point for any sign of Trixie or Vane, or even Pierce, whilst waiting for his brother’s laughter to die down. “And I never would have told you if I’d known you would be such a royal prick about it.” 

“Speaking of Pierce,” said Amenadiel, his laughter finally faltering. “Surely Dan is just as capable, and much more... well, fun.” 

“Daniel? Fun? Are you ill, brother?” Lucifer sputtered. Whereas Chloe’s former husband had grown on him significantly, he would have never used the word ‘fun’ as a descriptor for the man. “Time is of the essence. I didn’t think it wise to waste any of it orienting Detective Douche to the intricacies of the celestial world. Besides, he seems like the type of human who would be susceptible to flight sickness, and I can’t have him vomiting all over this suit. It’s my new Burberry.” 

“Right,” said Amenadiel. “I wonder why this plan of yours required an in-person visit from a member of the LAPD… could it have anything to do with keeping him away from a certain detective? Perhaps one who recently became angry with you?” 

His older brother was making a great deal less sense than usual. Perhaps Lucifer had hit too hard during their last row. “Yes, brother, having Pierce approach the hotel employees in-person is the plan. Why is everyone insisting on being so difficult today?” 

Amenadiel’s face adopted one of its most obnoxious expressions, that of the concerned older brother. Lucifer did his best to zone out and focus on important things, like the size of the woman’s breasts in the third floor corner suite, but he heard a few snippets about “Chloe won’t stay angry” and “something is off about Pierce and Chloe”. 

“Ah!” Lucifer said, his phone buzzing and lighting up. “Speak of the very first murderer, that snail of a man finally got the room number – it’s 213.” 

Before Amenadiel had any time to react, the brotherly duo was standing in front of the door to room 213, sending a celestial breeze meandering down the halls of the second floor. Amenadiel placed an arm on Lucifer’s shoulder, saying something about “strategies” and “caution”. But the Devil was acting on instinct. This was a pedophile, and the detective’s 9-year-old daughter. There was no time for thought. Lucifer’s foot collided with the door, shattering it to pieces and revealing a shocked-looking Danny Vane on the other side. 

Vane was standing alone in the middle of a lavish hotel room, a silky robe not unlike Lucifer’s own draped around his shoulders. Wine bottles and glasses dotted the tables, and the television blinked with sultry black and white adds for men’s cologne. A young and very naked man, past puberty but not quite of legal age, sat on the couch next to Vane. Seeing Lucifer and Amenadiel, the young man grabbed one of the wine bottles and covered himself, his eyes wide with apprehension. 

Vane, on the other hand, appeared to have an ego the size of Lucifer’s father. Shock had quickly turned to anger. “What are you doing here, Mr. Morningstar?” Vane growled, his hands failing in the air and his face reddening with rage. “You have no right to be here. Leave, immediately. I am not here alone – I have guards in the next room. There will be Hell to pay if you cross me.” 

It was Lucifer’s turn to become angry. His body filled up with heat, reminiscent of the fiery pit over which he used to reign. “How dare you speak of Hell as if you knew anything about it, not in my presence,” he said, advancing slowly on the man, vaguely aware of Amenadiel’s voice in his ear and the buzzing sensation of his phone in his suit pocket. “I ruled Hell for millennia. You’re not the first of your kind, and unfortunately you won’t be the last. But it’s always the same story from each of you. Something bad happened to you. Someone hurt you. You had no choice, no real agency. You rationalize every bad decision, putting your needs over the needs of those you’ve sworn to protect, those who don’t know any different. Only when you find yourself locked in torture of your own making do you truly see the gross ways that you’ve harmed others. Your type doesn’t deserve redemption or love, or even simple affection. It’s time to give you a little preview of your own personal Hell!” 

Lucifer was now close enough to count the wrinkles on Vane’s orange forehead. The young man had vanished, escaping to some unknown location. He was vaguely aware of Amenadiel standing behind him, warning him to keep his celestial powers in check, and saying something else that seemed potentially important, but Lucifer had lost control and couldn’t bring himself to care. In one fluid motion, the Devil lifted the man by the neck and flung him against one of the tables filled with wine. The bottles exploded all around Vane in a firework of alcohol and glass, spattering against the floors and couches like little pools of blood. 

It was only then, after Lucifer had a few moments to decompress, that he noticed half the staff of the LAPD had entered the hotel room, moving about the scene like dozens of worker ants. Amenadiel was in the corner of the room, talking to Pierce and a few other police officers he recognized from the precinct, looking over at Lucifer every few seconds as if to keep an eye on him. Ella was standing beside Lucifer, a gloved hand gently pressed against his shoulder. 

“Lucifer? Hey, buddy, you awake in there?” Her large, dark eyes were filled with concern. She seemed about ready to pounce on him with one of her unbearable embraces. “You can talk to me about what happened, I promise. Crime scenes are super scary sometimes.” 

“Where is the child?” Lucifer asked, taking a few deep breaths. “Did you find her? Is she back with her mother?”

Ella looked confused. “You mean him? The 15-year-old boy, Tommy, he’s been taken back to the station. Pierce did a really good job, you know, calling this in when he did. Apparently vice has been trying to take down this guy for ages. The lieutenant is getting a raise for sure. Chloe is a lucky girl.” Lucifer had felt his face contort into a grimace, and seeing this Ella added, “I mean, you did a good job, too. It’s just you’ve got to work on that whole protocol thing a bit more. Knocking a guy through a table, even though he’s not permanently injured, thank the Big Guy upstairs, it’s not exactly compliant with the rule book. Although I totally get why you did it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to knock out a pedophile–”

“So the detective’s daughter, she’s not here?” Lucifer’s blood was beginning to boil again. What was he missing? If the child wasn’t here, where was she? 

“No,” said Ella slowly. The forensic tech was bright, and Lucifer could see her deciphering meaning of his words even as she spoke. “Pierce hasn’t debriefed us yet on the case. We were told to be on the lookout for children, but not a particular child. I really hope Trixie is okay. Please tell me she’s okay. Please tell me she’s at home where she belongs, eating chocolate cake in her sushi shirt and playing with her stuffed animals–” 

Lucifer’s breath caught in his throat. The light bulb had gone off in his head, and he knew exactly what it was that he had forgotten from earlier. 

“Don’t worry your jaunty, ponytail-covered head in the slightest, Miss Lopez. I know exactly where to find the detective’s offspring.” 

And with that the fallen angel was in flight, sending all Ella’s carefully documented paperwork flying, and leaving Amenadiel to throw up his hands in exasperation.


	7. Trixie

Trixie awoke to tiny pieces of tin foil being pelted at her. 

“You would not believe all the trouble you caused, spawn.” Despite his harsh words, Lucifer’s tone was cheerful and his grin tremendous. He held a large purple box in his hands, from which he kept pulling the foils and throwing them, reminiscent of playing dodge ball at school with her friends. “We searched Lux inside out, but no one thought to check the lump in my bed for signs of life. I suppose you looked just like a pillow, curled up like that under the sheets.” 

Yawning and shrugging off the black silk sheets of Lucifer’s bed, Trixie reached out to grab one of the foils and get a better look at it – but stopped short before she reached it. Her entire arm was covered in a dark, gooey substance. 

“Double fudge cake,” explained Lucifer, referencing the mushy mass stuck to Trixie’s arms and stomach. “Let me guess: Rachel, hoping to find me in my ravishing birthday suit, once again attempted to deliver pastries to my bedchambers. Instead, she found you, the little runaway.” When Trixie nodded, remembering the look of horror on the large woman’s face, Lucifer continued with his narration. “It would appear you ate some cake, and then proceeded to fall asleep on top of the rest. At least you’ll survive the encounter, though. I can’t say the same for my silk sheets.”

Her mother and father were going to kill her. Probably every single one of their friends at work had been out looking for her, and here she was, covered in chocolate in Lucifer’s penthouse. Mommy had most likely taken all the toys and Dad all the chocolate cake. That yummy double fudge cake Lucifer had gotten her was the last cake she would be having for a long, long time. Maybe until she was thirty. 

Trixie’s stomach hurt, and it wasn’t just because of the cake. 

She tried to wipe the chocolate off her hands, but it just stuck to her skin harder. “I’m sorry I ran away from you,” said Trixie, surveying the trail of chocolate squished into Lucifer’s sheets with embarrassment. “I just don’t want to go home to Mommy and Marcus. All I wanted to do was be helpful. But I guess what you said earlier makes sense. We have to support Mommy, even if we don’t like it.” 

Her words seemed to make Lucifer sad. He turned away and looked at the bottles of alcohol on the bar longingly, as if he wished they could teleport to him. Trixie could see that he really did care about Mommy, but there was something really big and scary keeping him from telling her his feelings or taking her out on a date. Not for the first time, Trixie wondered what the really big and scary thing might be. Maybe he really was the Devil, like he said. But Mommy had called that a “metaphor”, which she knew was a story that really meant something else. 

Lucifer stopped looking at the bottles and faked a smile. “Yes, well, at least she doesn’t have the power to banish you from Heaven for all of eternity for your rebellion.” 

“I guess so,” said Trixie. She picked up one of the foil packets with her sticky fingers. There seemed to be something with a soft middle and a hard and circular edge inside the package. If her stomach hadn’t hurt she might have opened the foil to see if it was candy. “What are these things?” 

“Ask your mother,” said Lucifer dismissively. “Speaking of the detective, I fear she’ll succumb to heart failure or some other sort of pesky human disease if forced to wait much longer for your deliverance. Come now, child, your mother is just down the elevator. Off you pop.” 

Trixie pocketed the foil for later, concerned that the apprehension she felt at the idea of seeing her mother would prevent her from solving the mystery of the foil packets. “Shouldn’t I clean up a bit first?” Trixie did not want to give Mommy another reason to be upset and disappointed with her. 

A mischievous grin overtook Lucifer’s face. “The outfit your mother is wearing is some ridiculously unfashionable getup Pierce bought her. I’d like nothing more than for the detective to get a hug full of double fudge.” 

Smiling, Trixie looped her tiny fingers through Lucifer’s larger ones. He only flinched a little bit this time, although he did mumble to himself a lot on the way down the elevator. 

Trixie’s night had not turned out how she’d hoped, and she was definitely heading home to a toy-less bedroom. But at least she knew, deal or no deal, she could always talk to Lucifer and he would make her feel better. He always had her back. And more importantly, he had Mommy’s, too. That would have to be enough – for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully the twist there makes sense. Let me know, and I'll go in and fix it if the setup wasn't great.


	8. Chloe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe reluctantly attends therapy with Dr. Linda. Dan interjects. It doesn't go according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, this is my reaction to everyone else's critique of Chloe's character following the past few Lucifer episodes (3x20 and 3x21). I'm trying to get in her head, with the help of Dr. Linda, and figure out why there have been all these changes in her personality. Hopefully it makes sense. Let me know what you think!

“Where do you think the tears are coming from?” 

It was such a therapist thing to say. It was also one of the many reasons Chloe hated therapists. Linda Martin she liked well enough as a person, especially the time they had been drunk and dancing together at Lucifer’s penthouse. But emotions were uncomfortable enough all on their own. Chloe had never understood why therapists felt the need to discuss them over and over, like a bad song on repeat. 

Especially feelings of guilt. 

Dr. Linda regarded her contemplatively, appearing to read her every thought. It was another thing Chloe hated about therapists. “I noticed that when you first entered Lux, you asked about Trixie. She was, understandably, your first priority. But you also mentioned Lucifer. In particular, you seemed very angry with him. Angry that he wasn’t here when you arrived. Angry that he called Dan over you.” 

From the other side of the bar, Chloe could hear Dan mumbling about supposed friendships, saving important numbers to phones, and several choice phrases about a certain devilish nightclub owner. Dr. Linda glared in Dan’s direction and cleared her throat rather aggressively. Dan quieted, and the doctor continued with Chloe’s free and unsolicited therapy. 

“In times of hardship, many people avoid strong emotions by projecting them onto another, safer object. Sometimes this can be helpful in the short-term. It takes the edge off the emotion and allows us to function until we have time to process appropriately.” Even though Chloe’s strong emotions prevented her from making eye contact with Dr. Linda, she could feel the woman’s perceptive gaze boring into her. “Can you see how a safety concern for a child might cause a person to use projection? Perhaps against a close friend and coworker?” 

Chloe felt the pressure of fresh tears building behind her eyes. “It’s not Lucifer’s fault,” she said, her voice barely audible even in the dead silence of a closed Lux. She couldn’t bring herself to verbalize the rest, and instead letting the words hang tensely in the air. 

The doctor gave Chloe a moment alone with her thoughts, which drifted away like the wind during a storm. The meeting between Trixie and Marcus had been rushed, Chloe knew in hindsight. But it had been so long since she’d felt cherished by someone, and she’d wanted to share that with her daughter. Trixie was such a friendly, loving child. Chloe had never imagined that the meeting would go as poorly as it did.

Truth be told, when Chloe looked in the mirror she didn’t recognize the person staring back. So many things had happened to her in a short span of time. She was poisoned and had almost died. Her marriage to Dan had dissolved. There had been a romance between her and a certain man, as obnoxious as he was alluring. Her feelings for him had never been fully resolved, and had culminated in an unbearable rush of painful emotions Chloe never wanted to feel again. Ever. 

Then Marcus had come along and offered her something real. The relationship had overshadowed nearly everything else in her life, upturning her entire overly controlled and responsible personality. When she and Dan had been married she had never been as careless as she was with Marcus – and Dan had merely been a coworker, whereas Marcus was the lieutenant. Even Trixie had taken the sidelines, if today was any indicator. 

What was happening to her? Where had the old Chloe Decker gone? Would she ever return? 

“Chloe,” said Dr. Linda softly, drawing Chloe from her dazed state. “Right now three very capable men are off looking for your daughter, two of which work for the LAPD. So, let’s take some time to cool down and get some much-needed perspective on the situation. Perhaps we can talk about why you chose to take out your anger on Lucifer. Sometimes it’s helpful to look at why we feel safe enough to use certain people as defense mechanisms.”

Chloe felt a pang of discomfort in her stomach, much like the initial moments after being shot. A boundary had been crossed: Dr. Linda was Lucifer’s therapist, and Chloe’s ex-husband within earshot. “This has nothing to do with Lucifer,” she asserted, digressing back to her acting days for dramatic effect. 

It was effective. Dr. Linda nodded. Apparently she knew when to back away and allow for silence and reflection. 

Unfortunately, Daniel Espinoza did not possess the same skill. 

Dan walked over to the barstool where she and Dr. Linda were sitting, this time ignoring the nonverbal warnings from both women. His posture was rigid, and Chloe could tell that he was upset and trying to hide it. “Dr. Linda’s right, this is about Lucifer,” Dan started, looking Chloe directly in the eye. “He would do anything for you, including dropping everything to find your daughter. Yet, because you can’t deal with the real reason why you’re upset, you blew up and blamed him.” 

Never would Chloe have expected Dan to take Lucifer’s side. Not in a million years. Yet here he was, her ex-husband, staunchly defending her partner. 

“I know it’s not entirely fair to blame Lucifer.” Chloe could feel the heat rising to her face as she willed herself not to cry. “But he should have called me. I know he has my number memorized. The man knows everything about me, from my childhood address to my bra size. He should have called me the second Trixie went missing, because he is my partner and that’s what partners do for each other.”

“I get it, he should have called you. Heck, he should have called the both of us. But that’s not what this is about. None of this would have happened if you hadn’t forced your new boyfriend on Trixie.” Chloe felt the tears overflow and fall down her cheeks as Dan spoke, watching the anger and pain play out on his face. She had been so overwhelmed with her own emotions that she had forgotten about Dan. Trixie was his daughter, too. Of course he was going to be upset. “Honestly, Chloe, what’s going on with you? How could you even consider doing something like that, and without checking with me? I’m her father! I deserve to know when someone new enters Trixie’s life.” 

Noticing her tears, Dan’s anger began to dissipate some, and his voice calmed to a more neutral tone. “You’re her mother, Chloe. You know all of the changes she’s been going through lately. Of course she’d want to run away to someone familiar, and for some reason I’ll never understand, our daughter adores Lucifer.”

“Well, I don’t know about that, Daniel,” said a very familiar British voice. “There are plenty of reasons to adore me. Certainly you’ve come to realize that by now.” 

Lucifer emerged out of the shadows of Lux, a smug look plastered to his face. Chloe was about to punch him when she noticed something else – there was a tiny hand looped through his, and attached to it, a rather guilty-looking and chocolate-covered little girl. 

Poor Trixie had the air knocked out of her a few seconds later by both of her parents, while Dr. Linda called Amenadiel to let him and Marcus know that she had been found. Chloe had intended to corner her partner and force him to talk to her. She wasn’t sure how much of her conversation with Dan and Linda he’d overheard, and Trixie’s account of what had happened seemed tenuous at best. Not to mention the condom her nine-year-old pulled out of her pocket. Chloe wasn’t sure she wanted to know how that got there. 

But after all the commotion of finding Trixie had subsided, Lucifer Morningstar was nowhere to be found.


	9. Lucifer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Lucifer's turn for some therapy.

“Lucifer. Did you even hear what I said?” 

No, he had not. 

“Of course, my dear doctor,” said Lucifer, spinning the truth a bit. He had heard part of it – there was something about considering how the detective’s relationship with Pierce had been affecting him, and another psycho-babbly bit about confronting problems head-on instead of avoiding them – but nothing that Lucifer found helpful in the present moment. “I would never purposefully ignore you. Although I apologize, as I seem to be a bit distracted today.” 

Dr. Linda sighed heavily, as she usually did when Lucifer behaved in a less than insightful manner. “Fine. If you won’t listen to me about Chloe, how about we discuss Trixie? How is she doing since the incident at Lux?” 

“She is quite the clever little rascal,” said Lucifer, smiling. The child had managed to send a letter to him at Lux without either of her parents finding out. The Devil could certainly respect such rebellion. He didn't say any of this to Linda. He wasn't sure if she'd approve. 

“You haven’t asked Chloe how Trixie is doing, or if she’s okay?” 

Lucifer opened his mouth to speak. Then he thought better of it, and closed his mouth again. 

Dr. Linda sighed a second time. “You’ve been ignoring Chloe, haven’t you? Lucifer, this is exactly what I’ve been trying to tell you. Avoidance of our problems only serves to make them worse. It’s been four whole days. That’s four days of Chloe stewing in her anger and continuing to misunderstand your perspective of the situation with Trixie. It’s not an effective means of communication.”

Lucifer was considering a witty answer, when his phone buzzed. “Speak of the me,” he said, scanning the text. There was one from Chloe, and another from Ella. “It seems we have a new case. Same time next week?” 

The doctor shook her head as he raced out the door. “The rate things are going with you, Lucifer, I’ll see you tomorrow.” It was a quip Lucifer chose to pretend not to hear. 

Sprinting down the hallways of the building, Lucifer ignored the next from Chloe. She had sent him multiple texts, all very boring or unpleasant statements such as, ‘please respond’ or ‘I need to talk to you now’. Instead, Lucifer re-read Ella’s text. Luckily, the spunky forensic scientist had agreed to help him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted to know what's going on in Lucifer's head during therapy with Linda.


	10. Chloe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally - here's the Deckerstar moment the story has been building up to! :-)

“Lucifer!” 

“Lucifer!!” 

“LUCIFER!” 

Chloe knew he was at the precinct. Marcus had seen him, and so had Dan. Plus, the convertible was in the parking lot, as far as possible away from her car, but it was there nonetheless. Where on Earth was Lucifer hiding? 

“Ella!” Chloe called, bursting into the forensic lab. “Have you seen Lucifer? I need to talk to him. Something happened this weekend and he’s been avoiding me ever since. Any ideas where he might have run off to?” 

“Nope.” Although the spunky little lab tech’s face was glued to a large microscope, Chloe thought she sounded uncharacteristically subdued, and her voice wavered as she spoke. “Nothing to see here, other than some stringy little microbes. Certainly no Lucifer Morningstar. I mean, what would he be doing in my lab? No, there’s nothing interesting to see here at all.” 

Chloe sighed. Ella really needed to get better at bluffing. It’d be awful if she ever went to Las Vegas. “Please, Ella,” she pleaded. “I don’t know what Lucifer told you, but this isn’t some silly squabble between partners. This is important. You’re not doing him any favors by helping him to avoid the inevitable. Now, where is he?” 

Ella lifted her head up from the microscope, eyes wide. Chloe followed her gaze to the darkest corner of the lab, where a supply cabinet door had been swung open. Together with a bulky rack of lab coats, the corner was certainly large enough to conceal a grown man. Chloe thought she could see the shiny tips of a man’s expensive shoes sticking out from underneath one of the lab coats. 

“I’ll be lurking around Dan’s desk, if you need me,” whispered Ella as she scurried out of the lab like a tiny mouse. “But – please, please don’t need me!” 

Chloe traversed the lab quickly, slamming the door to the supply closed shut and yanking the spare lab coats to the floor in one swift motion. Sure enough, there was Lucifer, clad in a navy blue three-piece suit and his signature devilish smile. 

“Why, hello detective!” Lucifer greeted her gleefully. “I was just getting some quick shuteye. The lab is such a wonderfully relaxing place to take a nap, don’t you think? Although it does remind me a little bit of Hell, sometimes with all the ash we’d get a strong sulfur smell. Maze always used to hate–” 

Chloe certainly didn’t care what Hell smelled like, and Maze was not on her good side today. She reached forward and grabbed Lucifer’s phone from his suit pocket, observing with satisfaction the stunned expression on her partner’s face. “Nineteen missed calls, Lucifer. Nineteen! That doesn’t even include all the texts I sent you. Then, I come in to work this morning and find you literally hiding from me, like a child. Why is that? Are you that terrified to talk to me about anything that makes you the slightest bit uncomfortable?” 

The strong words had stripped every pretense of glee from Lucifer’s face. For a brief moment his dark eyes met hers, brimming with more sadness than she had bargained for. The next moment his eyes were back on the floor, his body stiff and unmoving against the now closed supply closet door. There was a heaviness to his breathing, and Chloe knew what she would see if she looked him in the eyes. 

This was Lucifer Morningstar, a man who believed he was the Devil, who hated emotional expression, at his most vulnerable. It was an uncomfortable moment for both Devil and detective. 

The tension lifted when Lucifer spoke. “I can assure you, detective, I played no part in encouraging your offspring’s escapades this weekend. Returning the child to you was my top priority.” 

“I know.” Chloe kept her tone gentle this time, minding the temperature of the room. “Lucifer, I’ve been trying to apologize all weekend. I don’t know how much you heard of what I said to Dan and Linda in Lux, but none of that was true. This isn’t your fault. Truth is, it’s mine.” 

Lucifer’s eyebrows nearly collided with his hairline. “Detective, you are a wonderful mother. There is no need to place blame on yourself for your offspring’s mishaps. Children are capricious creatures, always–” 

“Lucifer,” said Chloe, cutting him off. The man could, and would, talk for days. “ I appreciate that. I do. But Trixie ran away this weekend because she misses you, and I failed to realize that. She’s struggling with so many things: Maze, school, adjusting to Dan and Charlotte, and me and Marcus.” Chloe felt the familiar pangs of guilt, her words reminding her of the mistakes she had made over the past few days, and added, “Children need consistency, especially when everything around them is changing.” 

Chloe considered adding something about remembering how he felt as a child, with Charlotte Richards as his stepmom, but figured this would just lead to more elaborate metaphors about God kicking him out of Heaven, or some other equally confounding tale. Instead, she added softly, “Do you think you could come over for game night sometime? I promise not to invite Marcus. Trixie doesn’t seem to like him too much, anyway. She prefers you.” 

“It’s too late,” mumbled Lucifer, paying more attention to the floor than Chloe’s face. “I already brokered a deal with your offspring.” 

“What do you mean?”

Lucifer sighed. “It’s difficult to explain.” 

“Lucifer.”

“Fine.” He pulled out a piece of paper from one of his pockets and handed it to her. 

Chloe looked over the paper for a minute, confused. It was a short few paragraphs written on what appeared to be the back of one of Trixie’s vocabulary worksheets. The words “divorce” and “custody” and “visitation” popped out, all in the penmanship of a nine-year-old girl. Both Lucifer’s elaborate signature and Trixie’s plain one was visible on the very bottom of the page, a little heart scribbled next to each name. Even Ella’s wobbly signature had been added, above a line labeled “witness”. 

“What is this?” Chloe said, as the truth of what her daughter had been suffering through these past few weeks dawned on her. 

Lucifer remained silent, allowing her to work through it on her own. His hands were hiding in his pockets. When she finally looked up at him, he gave her a shrug. Chloe knew him well enough to know when he was attempting to minimize a situation and pretend it didn’t matter to him. 

But they both knew better. 

“So,” she started, purposefully keeping her voice low. “Trixie thinks I’m replacing you with–” 

Lucifer apparently did not want to hear the last part of her sentence. “It’s alright, detective. You don’t need to beat yourself up about the fact that your offspring isn’t as intelligent as you’d like. There’s nothing in our little agreement about how your spawn and I spend our weekly time together, so I can add spelling practice to the schedule, if you’d like. Perhaps I’ll borrow some of Charlotte Richard’s law books and teach her a thing or two about what these legal words truly mean.” 

Chloe raised her eyebrows. “No game night, then? Just the two of you, every Thursday after school?” 

“Well, you know, I’ve learned that Lux, and the penthouse, for that matter, are no place for a child. So we’ll probably go to Dan’s, then. We’ll be with… ah, with Dan.” 

There was no way Dan would ever be comfortable spending that much time with Lucifer, regardless of any sort of burgeoning friendship they had developed over the past year or so, and both of them knew it. Chloe had a different sort of idea.

“Lucifer,” she said, a smile growing on her face. “How do you feel about babysitting?” 

Her partner looked ready to vomit.


	11. Trixie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trixie reveals her master plan... and learns all about poker and how to take shots from Lucifer.

It was Thursday night, and Lucifer had already taught Trixie how to cheat her way through vocabulary, spelling, and math homework, and all in less than five minutes. It left her with plenty of time to learn how to play M&Ms poker AND beat Lucifer, which was easy considering he refused to lie. 

“What type of subterfuge is this, urchin?” said Lucifer. His words were jumbled by the pink lollypop in his mouth, which he had stolen as a consolation prize after Trixie won the entire pile of M&Ms. “The Devil does not lose poker games, especially to children.” 

Trixie grinned. “What’s the strange word you used before? You said it means sort of lying but not really?” 

“Bluffing?” 

“Yes, bluffing,” said Trixie, the new word sounding strange on her tongue. “Children bluff to their moms and dads all the time. It’s how we get the stuff that we want, and it’s just like playing poker.” She wondered what Lucifer was like when he was little. He probably got in trouble all the time with his parents. “Didn’t you ever bluff to your mom and dad when you were young?” 

Lucifer was silent for a moment. “I suppose I didn’t always tell the whole truth. There was an incident with an apple – ruined one of my Father’s favorite toys, so to speak – and He really lost his patience after the whole rebellion thing.” Lucifer looked far away, as if long-forgotten memories were flashing against the backs of his eyelids. “But no, I never lied. I just – influenced others in ways I knew Father never would have approved.” 

If Lucifer did it, it was okay for Trixie to do it, too. Marcus wasn’t trustworthy, and Trixie needed someone who had Mommy’s best interests around to help her keep an eye on things. So she had bluffed, and found a way to tie Lucifer to Mommy indefinitely. The papers had been signed and witnessed, just like the Internet had suggested. There was no way even Lucifer could find a loophole. 

It had been like a really, really tough math problem, and Trixie had figured it out all on her own. Maze didn’t even help, not that Maze was around to help, anyway. Trixie felt proud of herself. She thought Maze would be proud of her, too. 

Lucifer pulled out the strange metal container he carried in his suit pocket and took a sip. “So, child. It’s my turn to choose the game, is it not? Actually, the next two games, since you chose the first two.” 

It took Trixie a moment to understand what Lucifer meant by two games. “Homework isn’t a game,” she whined, crossing her arms over her chest. “My teachers give it to me, and Mommy and Daddy get mad if I don’t do it.” 

“Well, it was rather boring and I certainly didn’t choose to do it. Angelic children do not require all this ridiculous schooling. It’s one of the many ways we are superior to human spawn.” 

Trixie found herself wondering how Lucifer knew so many big words, like ‘bluffing’ and ‘subterfuge,’ if he had never been to school. Maybe kids in England didn’t need to go to school? Trixie decided to ask Mommy and Daddy if she could be like the children in England. School was boring. She’d rather just learn big words from Lucifer. 

“So,” Lucifer said. There was a mischievous smile on his face, which reminded Trixie of how he looked the day he had taken her to that fancy school instead of her actual school. “I’ve been contemplating how inadequate your parents are in certain areas, particularly the areas involving fun. This game involves both having fun as a child, and preparing you for how you will have fun as an adult.” 

Lucifer was making no sense whatsoever. But to improve her second-favorite babysitter’s grouchy, sore-loser mood – Maze still held the number one spot – she nodded and let him choose the next game. It was a very complicated game. Part of it was something Lucifer called “shots”, which involved lining up ridiculously tiny glasses and drinking cranberry juice out of them as quickly as possible. Well, Trixie’s glasses had cranberry juice. Lucifer kept dumping some sort of golden liquid in his, and refusing to allow her to touch any of those. 

The other part of the game involved singing karaoke to a bunch of songs Mommy and Daddy never would have approved. The song Lucifer chose had a catchy tune, but many of the words were unrecognizable to her, almost as if the were a different language. Trixie sang along as best as she could, singing the few words she could read from the computer screen and pretending as best as she could for the rest. 

“Be-eeel-ze-bub has a devil put aside for me  
For meeeeeeee  
For meeeeeeeeeeeeee!” 

“So you think you can stone me and spit in my eyeeee  
So you think you can love me and leave me to dieeee  
Oh baby, can’t do this to me baby   
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right out of hereee.” 

Mommy came home towards the end of the song, a plastic bag of leftovers in one hand and Marcus in the other. Lucifer was sitting on one of the kitchen stools, singing with his eyes closed and too loudly to hear the ruckus at the door. His head was tilted back towards the ceiling and his arm outstretched, as if speaking to an invisible person in front of him. Trixie thought his voice was beautiful, and from the look on her mother’s face, Mommy did, too. 

Marcus was the only person in the room who didn’t appreciate Lucifer’s talent. “Lucifer,” he admonished. There was the signature cross look on his face that Trixie hated so much. “Taking shots while babysitting? That’s not exactly appropriate adult behavior.” 

“I am not babysitting,” countered Lucifer, hopping off the stool and walking over to where Mommy and Marcus were standing. “I simply signed an agreement stating that I am required to pay the child weekly visits. That is not babysitting.” 

“That’s the definition of babysitting. Ask any sixteen-year-old girl.” 

Trixie rolled her eyes at Marcus. “I’m not a baby, and no one is sitting on me. So it’s definitely not babysitting.” 

“Okay, Monkey,” said Mommy, placing a hand on Trixie’s shoulder and steering her towards her room. “Say good night to Lucifer, and go put your pajamas on and get ready for bed. You’ll see him next week, remember?” 

“Good night, Lucifer!” 

“Good night, child. Try not to die of boredom in my absence.” 

Trixie grinned as she shut the door of her room with a click. She heard some muffled speech from the adults, and then the sound of Lucifer leaving. Trixie quickly got into her pajamas and rearranged her stuffed animals in preparation for story time. Moments later, her mother knocked and entered the room, a few new books in hand. As Mommy cuddled next to Trixie in bed and began to read, she could hear the sound of Lucifer’s feet colliding with the pavement as he walked to his car. It was soft, but Trixie could also make out the sound of Lucifer finishing the song he had been singing earlier, his lovely voice being carried into her bedroom by the wind. Mommy noticed the singing, and stopped reading so that both she and Trixie could hear. 

“Ohh yeah, ohh yeah  
Nothing really matters  
Anyone can see  
Nothing really matters to meeeee  
Anyway the wind blows.” 

The corvette’s engine started, and Lucifer sped off into the night. Mommy resumed reading, although her voice took on a melancholic tone. When she had finished, Trixie felt her eyelids beginning to get heavy. 

“Good night, Monkey,” said Mommy. Trixie felt her mother’s hand smoothing her hair gently. Her eyes flickered back open for just a second, but it was long enough to see Marcus standing in the doorway to her bedroom, watching with an ambiguous expression on his face. 

Trixie bolted upright in her bed. “Didn’t you read the sign?” 

Marcus’s eyes widened. “What?” 

Mommy put a palm to her forehead. “Marcus, eh, you’re not allowed in Trixie’s room.” 

“What?” 

Apparently Marcus really was stupid. Trixie jumped out of bed and pointed directly at the sign. “Read it,” she commanded. 

Marcus complied and read the words out loud. “No boys allowed…” His eyebrows rose. “Except Lucifer and Dad.” Marcus paused, giving Mommy a sideways glance. “This is going to take a while, isn’t it? She’s very attached to your partner.” 

“Yes,” answered Trixie for her mother, hopping back over to the bed. “I need another story, Mommy. I’m wide awake now.” 

Mommy motioned for Marcus to leave, sighing. Once he was gone and the door to Trixie’s room shut tight, she chose another book from the pile and handed it to her mother. “One more, Monkey,” said Mommy, looking sleepy herself. 

Trixie drifted to sleep halfway through the story. Her bed felt safe and warm, with Mommy right beside her. Trixie didn’t remember the dream when she woke up, but that night she dreamt Mommy had been in trouble, except a dark-haired angel with brilliant white wings had saved her. The angel loved her, and would always protect her. The dream had been scary at first, but in the end Trixie knew that Mommy would always be safe and protected. Always. 

And the angel’s name had been Lucifer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this story, folks. Let me know what you think in the comments. Deckerstar forever!!!
> 
> And thank you to the late Freddie Mercury and Queen for the amazing song lyrics.


End file.
